Viorst, J., & Cruz, R. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. New York: Atheneum.
Other Titles: "Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move", "Absolutely, Positively Alexander", "Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday"
Genre: Picture Book (Recommended Age: 4-7)
Your sister is taking over the bathroom, you have to eat oatmeal for breakfast, and your book report is due today. Have you ever thought, “This is going to be a very bad day?” In the book, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” that’s exactly what Alexander thought when he woke up with gum in his hair and tripped on his skateboard. Alexander found that as the day went on, his luck didn’t get better. The dentist discovered he had a cavity and his mom made lima beans for dinner. What will happen to Alexander next on this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?
This is an entertaining story about unfortunate events that seem to get increasingly worse for Alexander, the main character, as his day proceeds. The author, Judith Viorst, makes it easy for students to spend a day in Alexander’s not-so-lucky shoes. I would recommend this book to different age groups and grade levels, as students could easily relate to having a bad day. Yet, the text could be used to help students think about the choices they would make, which might be similar to or different from Alexander’s choices.
No comments:
Post a Comment